hem
home fearing a heavy storm would prevent their going later. A telegram
which they sent to Edna at Florence Gittings's was not delivered till
after the child had left the house.

"You aren't going off by yourself," said Florence when the club meeting
was over. It had seemed rather a poor little affair after the brilliancy
of Helen's entertainment, and with both Agnes and Celia missing. However
they had all done their best, but it broke up rather earlier than
usual.

"Oh, I must go," said Edna. "I am sure Agnes and Dorothy will be at the
railway station, and we can all go out together."

"But it is snowing so hard and the wind is making the snow drift,"
continued Florence.

"Oh, but the cars go all the way to the station. I won't have to walk,
and very likely mother will send one of the boys, Cousin Ben, perhaps,
to meet me."

"I wish we had a telephone," said Florence, "but we haven't, and I
suppose you can telephone from the station if you want to."

"I might do that," said Edna.

"I think you'd better go back to your Uncle Horner's," suggested Helen.

"Oh, but--" Edna did not want to do this. A whole week at the school
without Celia was about all she thought she could stand. "I shall do all
right," she insisted. "I'm sure the girls will be at the station." So
the others saw her depart without urging her further.

Owing to the snow which was drifting heavily, the cars were running much
more slowly than usual, and when Edna reached the station her train had
just gone. It was the train her father always took and she had hoped to
see him. She decided to telephone and took out her purse to see what
money she had. Alas! she had but ten cents, not enough for an
out-of-town toll. She had her school ticket fortunately. Celia was the
one who always carried the money for the expenses, and Edna remembered
that her mother had told her to be sure to provide herself with enough.
"If you find you run short," she told the child, "either send down to
your father for some change or borrow it from Aunt Elizabeth."

Edna would rather have done almost anything than borrow from Aunt
Elizabeth and she had forgotten to look in her purse anyhow, before
starting. "Even if I had," she told herself, "I would have thought I had
enough for I didn't expect to need anything but car fare." The next
train would leave at five, but as it was a short run Edna thought she
might venture to take it, even though it might be dark when she reache